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More roads aren't answer to traffic congestion, but tolls, maybe, according to magazine

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More road construction isn't necessarily the answer to traffic congestion, but possibly charging drivers' fees to use congested roads during rush hour is, according to an article in Wired.
Traffic backs up bumper-to-bumper at 4:00PM on the Crescent City Connection as far back as the Terry Parkway entrance Wednesday, May 2, 2011. In an attempt to improve lakebound traffic flow near the Superdome, state transportation official eliminated some through-lanes on the Pontchartrain Expressway in December to create exit-only lanes designed to reduce last-second merging and ease chronic bottlenecks. But now many commuters say the changes have backfired and congestion is worse than ever.
(NOLA.com | The Times-Picayune file photo)

Anyone who believes more roads are the answer to relieving traffic congestion is wrong, according to the technology magazine, Wired. The article also suggests that increasing access to public transit isn't a solution either.

Two economists studied road construction over a 20-year period around the United States. The researchers, Matthew Turner of the University of Toronto and Gilles Duranton of the University of Pennsylvania, found that if road construction increased by 10 percent in a city, so did traffic, according to Wired.

Researchers also found that even with additional public transportation, traffic congestion stayed the same, according to Wired.

The economists suggest one possible solution is to charge drivers' tolls for using congested roads during rush hour. The idea has been tried in cities like London, Stockholm and Singapore with success, Wired said.